Love's as Easy as ABC
by Danimeister
Summary: "For a shinobi, love is as easy as ABC ... not." A collection of one-shots starring four shinobi couples, documenting their triumphs, trials, and of course, those lazy days on the couch. Ratings may vary. Happy reading!
1. A is for Attraction

**_Hi everyone! I ended up getting an idea for a cute little one-shot shortly after three in the morning well I was hyped up on coffee and the creative juices were flowing. Naturally, I pulled out the computer and started writing, only to realize ... it was going to turn into more than one very rapidly. XD And so, this series of one-shots was born!_**

**_This collection of one-shots will include the following pairs: Shikamaru and Temari, Tenten and Neji, Ino and Choji, and last but not least, Naruto and Hinata. These are my personal favorite pairs, and I just want you to know that I'm not trying to push these pairs on anybody. If you don't like the pairs that are going to be featured in this series, that's okay. :3 But if you do like these pairings, that's even better, and that this is the fanfiction for you! :D_**

**_Thanks in advance! Reviews are welcome! Happy reading! :3_**

**_-D_**

**_Edit: I've revised a teeny tiny bit: I'm only going to be doing four couples instead of five, but the ideas and such are all the same! :3_**

Disclaimer: I do not, nor have, nor ever will own anything related to the label Naruto or Naruto Shippuden. That all belongs to the wonderful Kishimoto-san!

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**_A is for Attraction_**

**_Shikamaru and Temari_**

Shikamaru Nara had never really been one to pay attention to girls. He found them too noisy, too obnoxious, and much too troublesome for him to worry about. He preferred to avoid them at absolutely all costs, even if that meant it was more annoying for him in the long run. And since he tended to ignore most women, he didn't really pay attention to what they looked like.

That all changed when he met a blonde kunoichi in the heat of battle.

It had all started in his year's chunin exams. Of course, she had been there from the start, just as he, and her team had made it through the first two parts of the test, just as his did. But he had been utterly unobservant, and hadn't really noticed her much. Every once in a while he would have heard her low alto tone, or seen the tip of a spiky pony tail, but other than that, he didn't care much. He remained lazy and clueless until the main matches, the ones that were held in an extravagant Coliseum-like stage propped up in the middle of the village. Shikamaru had been paired up against her, and he distinctly remembered being miffed at the fact that her opponent was once again, a female. After Naruto had literally thrown him into the ring, he had peered up and backward, and he finally caught a glimpse of her wild beauty.

Her dark, golden hair had been pulled back into four, extremely pointy ponytails, thick bangs just falling to touch her furrowed eyebrows. Her eyes were a strange hue between a sea-water blue and a jade green, sharp and jagged with stern intensity. She stood ready, her body lithe and agile under her lilac clothes and scarlet sash, her giant fan still located on her back. He had been stunned both from the fall and her looks, but had only three seconds to drink in her appearance before she shouted, "If you're not going to attack, I will!" and had charged at him.

Ever since that moment, after he finally _looked _at her for the first time, she continued to become even more attractive. Shikamaru began noticing stupid little things that made her even more pretty than she already was. Like the way her hair shone a stunning shade of gold when the morning sun hit it, and how her eyes sparkled with pulsing courage when she had fought Tayuya with him. How her tense face became gentle and sympathetic when his father had called him out after. How her skills and talents grew exponentially as she flew her way up to the jounin level. There was also her smile to take into account. Her wild grin was his favorite-especially when they spotted each other whenever one of them was visiting the other's village. Of course, as the years had gone by, her clothes had changed, becoming slightly more revealing, and that he thoroughly enjoyed. Her black kimono had a low enough neckline that he could look without getting caught.

Temari was, with not a doubt, the most attractive woman he had ever met.

But then there was her personality.

Although she could be sweet and soft at times, there was the fact that she was utterly blunt and somewhat stoic. And tough; he had seen her once step on a rusty nail and not even flinch. She was loud, especially when she was angry with him, and she also wasn't afraid to resort to beating him with her fan when she wanted to get her point across. Spending time with her could be a tossup; it would either go well, and he would realize he liked having her around, or it would go horribly, and he'd end up going home with bruises on his shoulders. Her personality could, naturally, be summed up into one, eleven letter word that he used to describe everything.

Troublesome.

Temari was troublesome. But attractive. But troublesome.

Shikamaru groaned out loud. This was too much to be thinking about early in the morning. His narrow brown eyes squinted as he yawned softly, clutching the blue cup in front of him with shuddering hands. It warmed his palms, steam rising from the black tea that filled the cup full. He shook his head once, trying to clear his mind of the Temari-related jumble. He wanted his mind to be clear when she woke up, for she was too analytically intelligent; she would know he was thinking about something, and it would probably only take her minutes to figure out it was her.

He stood up, quietly scraping the wooden chair back as he went. He sighed and padded his way to the window, leaning against the sill as he glanced out. Ever since Temari had come back for a visit-roughly a week ago-she had been staying in a small apartment the Hokage had given her on the North side of the village. Normally, they would send the day together, doing both diplomatic things and "unofficial couple things" before he would be forced to buy her supper and then return her to her abode. Usually, he would leave just before she would go to bed, but last night, he had been so tired that well he had been waiting for her to steep her green tea, he had managed to pass out on the black tatami mat that was located in the small living room.

And now he was here. Standing by her window, looking out on the yellow-hued village, a cup of black tea-the only thing he could find in her pantry-in his hands.

"Hey. What are you still doing here?"

The low, thick voice didn't startle him. He merely shrugged as he turned around to face who had directed the question at him.

Temari yawned loudly, blinking the sleep out of her eyes as she made her way towards him. Her jade-azure eyes were glazed over with sleep, giving her an absolutely irresistible, innocent look to her, dark honey-colored hair falling down to the tips of her shoulders. She was still dressed in the light pink kimono she had been wearing last night, but now she had matching slippers on her feet. Her long legs were mostly bare, enticing him to look and marvel once more.

"I asked you a question," she stated quietly as she finally reached him. She didn't even ask; she just took his tea cup and took a small sip, cringing when the bitter taste hit her tongue.

"And I answered." He shrugged again, showing that the movement was his answer.

Temari smiled a sultry smirk before she stood on her tip toes to kiss him, her moist lips only making contact for a short time before she slipped away with his tea cup, moving to the pantry, probably to contaminate it with sugar or honey. He couldn't help but watch her hips sway as she went.

_Yep. Definitely attractive._

_But _troublesome.

"Hey, that's my tea, you troublesome woman," Shikamaru complained as he went to rescue his drink.


	2. B is for Bickering

**_Hey everyone! Here we have the second one-shot in the series! :3 I had the idea for this one-shot almost immediately after I posted the first, but since I ended up suffering from a case of heat stroke, I was unable to even get a start on this chapter for a good two days. So, I just want to apologize quickly for the wait on this!_**

**_I want to thank everyone who read, followed, and favorited this story! It lets me know that people are enjoying this and that I should write some more! Reviews are also welcome!_**

**_Thanks in advance for reading!_**

**_-D_**

**_Disclaimer: I do not, nor have, nor ever will own anything related to the label Naruto or Naruto Shippuden. All of it belongs to Kisimoto-san!_**

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**_B is for Bickering_**

**_Tenten and Neji_**

"I can't believe you, Neji! I seriously can't believe you! He's our _team mate_, and team mates are supposed to help each other! You shouldn't have even said anything! You know he's sensitive about his lack of genjutsu and ninjutsu! I'm fine! It's just a scratch, and it wasn't even caused by Lee! You seriously need to stop freaking out about all the time and just ... let things go!"

"This has nothing to do with me. This also has nothing to do with Lee's lack of ninjutsu and genjutsu. In fact, he's practically known all across the country as a taijutsu expert. He rarely thinks of his past weaknesses anymore. This has _everything_ to do, however, with his lack of self-control."

"Neji! He didn't mean it!"

"Then why did you fly half way across the training field and smash into a tree?"

Tenten crossed her arms roughly and scowled in fury. The scowl caused pain to flash in the left side of her face, and she huffed, placing a hand on the pile of gauge that was slathered across the pale skin on her face and neck.

"See? You're in pain."

"I'm fine! And I did _not _smash into a tree! I-I used it to break my fall!"

Her reply was met with a small scoff. "With your face? Tenten, it was very easy to see that his kick is what caused this. Though the tree may have some blame in the matter as well."

"We were working on my defense! How am I supposed to defend from a baby kick when that's not what's going to be hurled my way in an actual fight? I told him not to hold back, and that's exactly what he didn't do! He actually listened to me, unlike you!"

Neji's left eyebrow twitched, his fathomless grey eyes staring at her, almost directly through her. Even though Tenten had been on Neji Hyuuga's team for years now, she would never get used to the haunting, stalking stare that his Byakugan gave him. Because of the startling stare, Tenten almost began to regret the words she had just spat at him. Despite this, Neji responded, still as calm and as cool as ever. "Tenten, I'm merely worried about your well-being. You've been pushing yourself too hard recently. You're working on defending taijutsu that you won't be able to defend. You're only going to end up hurting yourself."

"I can and I will! I'm going to be able to do it! It's not just guys that can defend against powerful taijutsu attacks like Lee's! Girls can do it too, and be just as strong as guys can!" Her fury was racing through her veins, heat blooming on the back of her neck and her bandaged cheek.

"Tenten," he sighed, eyebrows furrowing slightly. "Please, we've gone through this already. I know that females can be as strong, even stronger, than males."

"Then why are we even talking about this?!"

"Because I don't want to you end up hurting yourself over this."

"I'm not going to-urgh! This is absolutely pointless!" she cried. "You never listen anyways! Sometimes ... I wished you'd just stop protecting me and treating me like a baby!" Tenten twisted on her heel, swiveling away from him. An angry, pulsing heat began thumping in her chest, only fueling her frustration into full blown fury. Why was he always so ... _frustrating?! _Her hands clutched into angry balls as her feet began pounding again the varnished, wooden floor, face crimson with chagrin.

_Stomp. Stomp. Stomp._

"Tenten! Wait for a-"

_Creak. Slam!_

Now behind their bedroom door, Tenten knew she was safe to storm and stomp around as much as she pleased. Even though the door was unlocked, Neji wouldn't dare to open it. As she went, she began unfastening her shinobi tool bag from her hip, her fingers fumbling and twisting uselessly as she finally tore it from her body. Next were her scroll-holders, which went clattering and tumbling into the corner with all the other weapon scrolls she had used along the years. Then, she released her hair from the tight, smooth buns that were on either side of her head; long but wavy, molten brown hair went tumbling down her back to just above her hips. Finally, she flopped on to the neatly made bed, slamming her face into the fluffy pillows there, agony burning on her injured cheek.

All through her shinobi years, Tenten had respected Neji. Ever since they had been teamed up under the never-ending, energetic tutelage of Gai-sensei, she respected his words and his need of space. Even though they had gotten into many spats-mainly like the one she had just ended-she continued to honor Neji, and, though she hardly admitted it, admired him in a sense. And, to a mild degree, he had respected her. Through the difficult Chunin exams, he had been there to support her after her embarrassing defeat in the preliminary round. And she was there to help him back on his feet after his practically devastating fight with Naruto, the fight that changed who Neji was. He became so much more ... of a man. The type of man that Tenten enjoyed being around. Though they had leaned on each other before, it only intensified after that. Soon, Tenten and Neji had become extremely close, now a pair. She found a sense of ... ease, of love, around Neji, a sense she didn't often find around Lee, Gai, or many other of the Konoha shinobi. That sense, and their bond, only continued to strengthen with time, and soon, the two were practically inseparable. And, though they denied it and denied it in front of friends and comrades, it was true that they loved each other. It was also true that Neji had begun spending much more time at her house then he did at his own.

_But, _Tenten thought, with a tinge of madness still in her chest, _Why is he still so protective? _He had seen her countless times, defending herself and others, not so much as a nick on her skin. She was able to hit every target imaginable, and she had a keen sense of logic. Not many people were able to sneak up on her, for her hearing and sense of awareness was almost perfect. She was able to protect and take care of herself ... why was he still like this? He hardly listened to any suggestions she made, and whenever he was the platoon leader, he stuck her at the back, a last line of defense so she hardly got any action. She was tired of having to lean too much on the comrades in front of her, and she was completely fed up with her talents and shinobi tools beings wasted on absolutely-

"It's because I'm scared of losing you."

All of her displeasure disappeared, and the redness in her face was replaced with white. Her head snapped up, and her chestnut eyes widening.

"Huh?" she asked stupidly.

Neji stepped forward, farther into the room. His hand was still on the brass doorknob, his grey eyes cast downward so she wasn't able to clearly see the emotions flashing through them. His inky hair was loose from his low ponytail, a few locks falling into his face. He continued to speak thoughtfully and softly, almost as if the words were directed to the ground more than her. "I don't want to lose you, Tenten. I'm ... I'm _petrified _that I'm going to send you into the front lines and you're going to get hurt. Or ..."

He didn't really have to say anymore. Tenten was smart enough to gather what his next words would be. But now ... everything had fallen into a stern place. Everything he had ever said to deter her from fighting ... everything he had been doing to keep her away from the danger ... everything somehow made perfect sense. It was a startling revelation that left her breathless, that left her eyes large and her mouth hanging open. But, to hear that the famous Neji Hyuuga had fears that were the same as hers, to know that he truly did care for her ... She knew how he felt. She did. And she knew how hard it must have been for him to finally realize and share these fears.

"Neji," she whispered.

Tenten slid off of the bed, and before Neji could say anymore, her arms were wrapped around him, the good side of her face pressed into the crisp, white fabric of his shirt. No more words were exchanged between the two, but Tenten knew that all had been forgiven as Neji's arms wrapped around her waist, and his cheeks rested on the top of her hair.


	3. C is for Choices

**_Hello again! Here's the third one-shot! I hope you all like it! It didn't take me as long as I originally thought to type this one up, considering I had an extremely hard time getting the character right for this one. XD_**

**_Oh, I almost forgot! Thank you to all the people who favorited, read, and followed this story! It really makes me happy seeing that people are enjoying my fanfictions. :3 I don't mean to be a bother, but I would like to say that if you have any suggestions or favorite parts or anything like that, you can send me a review to let me know, in detail, how I'm doing. :3 Thanks!_**

**_Happy reading!_**

**_-D_**

**_Disclaimer: I do not, nor have, nor ever will own anything related to the label Naruto or Naruto Shippuden. That's all Kishimoto-san's!_**

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**_C is for Choices_**

**_Choji and Ino_**

"Ahhh! I have no idea which one to choose!"

Choji Akimichi had a problem. A really big problem. A horrendously huge problem that he didn't know how to fix. Or, actually, he wasn't going to be able to fix. He just knew he wasn't. There was a right or a wrong decision, and he was far too scared of what was going to happen if he _chose the wrong one._ He didn't want to be the guy who chose the wrong thing for his lovely girl, but when your girl was the fierce and fiery Ino Yamanaka, you were terrified of it even more.

Choji had known Ino since, what felt like, the beginning of time. Though he had known Shikamaru longer, Ino had been a pretty large part of his childhood as well; soon after he had met Shikamaru, all three parts of the "Ino-Shika-Cho" trio came to meet, playing while being supervised by the elder version of the trio. Even then, Choji remembered Ino as being quite the firecracker, most often taking the lead in the games of "Ninja" and "Hokage" that they played. Throughout their childhood years, he often saw and played games with her, but soon their friendship came to a grinding halt as she began to discover that there were better looking guys then he in their class. He took a backseat, all throughout their years as genin, as she chased after Sasuke and cried about Sasuke. Though they remained great team mates and fairly close friends, he had never had the courage to admit to her that she was one of the most beautiful girls he had ever seen. It, surprisingly, wasn't until Sasuke had been deemed an international criminal and that they were going to _kill _him that she began to take notice. After her breakdown in front of the rest of their comrades, he had taken her to a local tea shop to try and calm her down. All those hours he had spent rubbing her back and telling her kind things had ended up paying off. Somewhere during her "I don't want him to die! He's part of our village!" speech and her "They can't do this!" rant, she looked up with watery teal eyes and blubbered, "Thank you, Choji. You're the best person ever." Shortly after that, he finally stuttered out his affections to her, and the light-blonde kunoichi smiled through her tears and kissed him on the cheek.

Ever since, they had been spending much more time together, and a even a couple of times, she had kissed him on the lips. Although his confidence was much better on the battle field, he still didn't have much when it came to girls and friends. But Ino was helping. And, she finally made one of his biggest dreams come true ...

His dream that, finally, the big-boned guy would snag the girl!

"Uh, sir, we close in ten minutes."

Choji snapped violently out of his thoughts, dark eyes widening considerably. Heat began to pulse deep within in chest as he began to look over his options once again. It was Ino's birthday in two days, and he had been counting on a small jewelry store, Hanako's Jewelry, ordering in a beautiful silver necklace with a heart on it, but somehow, it had been stolen or lost during the transfer to the store. Now, he was at the more expensive store, Gemstones and Jewels, located in downtown Konoha, and he was frantically trying to figure out which piece of jewelry she would enjoy more.

The first option was a white gold necklace, the chain braided, skinny but kind of long in length. It was small, with a sparkling golden flower made of topaz, glimmering whenever a source of light hit it. The second option was completely different. It was a silver chained bracelet with a gemstone charm in the shape of a heart, made of delicate ruby encircled in quartz.

He held his face in his hands once more. He still had no idea what to choose.

"Listen, sir, I don't want to be a bother, but you've been here for like three hours already and I'm going to have to close up soon." Choji glanced up, and the curly-haired shop owner was staring down at him, her fingers tapping on the glass showcase as she did.

"S-sorry," Choji apologized, shaking his head. He hadn't realized that he had been there for so long. "I-I just ... don't know which one to choose. I want her to like it."

Suddenly, the woman seemed more interested in what he was looking at. She leaned closer to both pieces of jewelry that were laying on a royal blue cloth on the surface of the large showcase. She smiled at him, and it was more of a genuine smile than she had flashed at him before. "I didn't realize ... this was for your girlfriend. Does she like gold or silver more?"

Choji blushed deeply. "I ... I don't know."

"You haven't been together for very long, have you? Aww, that's so sweet! Maybe I know her?"

"I-Ino ... Yamanaka." His reply was stammered, like he still wasn't used to the idea that the beautiful medical-nin was his.

The woman behind the counter gasped. "Ino Yamanaka?! Really?! You're dating Ino?! I used to be good friends with Ino! We used to make flower arrangements together in the Academy! I'm Hina Yuumiki! Maybe she's talked about me before? Oh, I wonder how she's doing ... I didn't really know that she went for the bigger guys, though. Last time I talked to her, she went for the dark-haired, wild type ..."

"She's well," Choji responded with a tentative smile. He wasn't sure whether to take the second last comment as an insult or a compliment, either.

"Oh, well, you have to tell her that I said hi, and that we have to get together soon, okay? I just wonder-"

"Hey, Choji!"

Panic raced through Choji's veins. He frantically looked between both sets of jewelry, and in a flurry of gut-wrenching panic and complete surprise, he pointed to the golden necklace, and practically threw the correct number of bills and coins into the girl's face. She nodded quickly, understanding exactly what was going on; she cupped the money and recounted it, placing the money into the cash register haphazardly and scooping the necklace into her hands, ducking down out of sight with the present.

"H-hey, Ino!"

Ino was suddenly perched in the doorway of the establishment, a warm smile on her pale face. Her hair was in its usual up do, most of it pulled back into a pony-tail, with one lock falling out to cover her right eye. The other eye, a teal-like green, gleamed at him with calming happiness. She was still in her shinobi clothes, purple and black in color, so there was no doubt she had just returned from her mission. She crossed the room from him, a placed a quick peck on his cheek. Then, she glanced around at the contents of the store and asked in her trilling soprano, "What're you up to here?"

"Uh ..." Choji struggled to find words. He didn't want to lie to her, but yet, didn't want the surprise to be ruined due to his clumsiness.

Ino just grinned at him. It was that all-knowing grin that she usually flashed when the jig was up, or right before she knew she was going to win during any type of battle. Choji deflated and sighed as the next sentence escaped her lips. "Sorry, Choji, I'm not that dumb. I know my birthday's coming up. I know why you're here."

Choji's heart pounded. It was over. Now, she had found out what he had been trying to plan for days, why he had been sneaking away to glance at girly things well she wasn't looking. She now had figured out why he had taken her "window shopping" so many times in the past month, only to see if he could gather any ideas on what to obtain for her. She now knew that he had been planning this, and that made his shoulders droop and his face to pull into an unsatisfied frown. To make matters worse, Hina, the girl behind the counter, popped back up again, and as soon as she caught the sadness on Choji's face, her face fell as well. A small, flat black box, decorated with a bonny pink bow, was in her hands, and Choji knew exactly what was inside it.

"C'mon, Choji, it's not that bad. I can get my present a couple days early. What'd you get me, huh?" Ino cheered.

It was obvious that Ino was just trying to make him feel better, but it only made his anxiety worse. What if, in the few moments of disastrous alarm, had he chosen the wrong one?

That didn't stop her; she took the box from Hina, who was too stunned to say anything on the matter, and began to pull off the intricate bow, and then proceeded to toss it behind her. Choji made no move to stop her, for he knew that, some way or another, she would get her present early anyways. His heart continued to speed on, his pulse ringing in his ears, his face burning with intense heat. Finally, she lifted off the lid of the black box.

And gasped, her free hand flying to her mouth, eyes wide and watery.

He felt like he was choking. Choji's mouth was moving before he could stop it. "I'm so sorry, Ino, I just wasn't sure you'd like it, and then you came in like that, and I panicked. I should have chosen the other one and we can return it, I promise. I'll get you the one you-"

Ino's hand left her mouth and clamped over Choji's, forcing his lips to stop moving. For a few long moments, Choji feared for his life.

Then her arms were around his wide bodice, and she was crying, burying her face into his chest. Choji embraced her, hugging her lanky body tight to his frame, pressing his face into her beautiful white-blonde hair. His heart ached badly, and he hadn't felt this gnawing ache for the longest time. He hadn't felt it since his childhood, when he had been rejected by all his peers. When he had continuously felt as if he would never belong. Now, he knew why he felt the pang; he was terrified that Ino was going to leave him too.

"It's beautiful."

Choji's head snapped up. His eyes went wide once more. "Wha-what?"

Ino looked up, tears blooming in her eyes. "Choji, it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

"Really?"

"Oh, Choji, you idiot, of course it is!" Ino giggled, trying to brush the tears out of her eyes. She released him, and held the box out to him. "Can you put it on me?"

He gingerly took the white-gold necklace out of the cotton-lined box, and she quickly turned around and held her pony-tail up out of the way. With shaky hands, a red face, and heavy breathing, he managed to get the necklace around her neck, and managed to clamp the petty clasp together, making sure it was done up right and wouldn't fall off. She soon twisted around for him to look, and the necklace only extenuated her slender neck, the soft chain twinkling against her fair skin. The gemstone flower of topaz rested directly above her chest, and it too, sparkled and glittered.

Ino laughed and embraced him once again, standing up on her tip toes to catch his lips in a searing kiss.

Choji didn't need to worry or fret anymore. He was sure he had made the right choice.


	4. D is for Dedication

**_Hi! I would first like to apologize for the wait on this one-shot! The week since I had updated had been pretty stressful for me. My internet was down for two days because of a massive storm that rolled through, and we all know how I am with storms. (Oh, in case you don't know, I'm absolutely terrified.) My back yard was also trashed by said storm. Work was hectic and I was called in a couple times because one of my coworkers was sick. And of course, to top it all off, I think there's a wood pecker outside that thinks the street lamp is a tree, so all I hear is the clanging all night long. DX On the plus side, however, I found my Magic Bullet so now I can make all sorts of delicious smoothies. :3 Okay, enough with my personal babble._**

**_Thanks very much to everyone who's been reading, following and favoriting this story! It means a lot to me! Oh, and thank you to the first reviewer! Please, everyone, keep the reviews coming! Let me know how I'm doing! :D_**

**_Hope you like this one-shot! :3_**

**_-D_**

**_Disclaimer: I do not, nor have, nor ever will own anything related to the label of Naruto or Naruto Shippuden. That all belongs to the amazing, god-like man known as Kishimoto-san!_**

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**_D is for Dedication_**

**_Naruto and Hinata_**

One of the most important attributes for a shinobi to have, according to Hinata Hyuuga's father, was dedication. Any shinobi who lacked the dedication to keep their village safe were scum. Shinobi were supposed to have boundless dedication; to the village, to the Hokage, to their comrades, and, last but certainly not least, to their fruitful training. Dedication was one of the roots of shinobi life, the roots that Hinata had been living by for years. The roots that had helped Hinata survive through deadly missions and protect her beloved friends.

But, no one told the timid kunoichi that dedication played a big role in relationships too.

Now that she thought about it, she should have figured that out quite a while ago. In order for someone to have a relationship, there had to be some amount of dedication to each other. Or, more to each other's love, she supposed. But, dedication wasn't the only quality that shone throughout a loving, healthy relationship. Love, kindness, honesty, faith ... Hinata could go on for ages and ages about the main qualities and attributes that both members should carry throughout their time together. And, of course, their personalities should be able to coexist with each other; a good couple had their squabbles, but would remain happy and content for the majority of the time.

A faint blush painted Hinata's cheeks as she continued to roll and fill the onigiri-or, rice balls, as Naruto preferred not to call them by their formal name. As she salted her hands once again to make another ball, she let her mind drift off in a wandering direction, her hands moving on autopilot as she continued to make their delicious lunch.

She had admired Naruto for such a long time. His confidence, his power, his enthusiasm, his unyielding determination ... all of those things she had, for so long, loved from a distance. Even when they were genin, she had only watched and supported from afar, scared of what others might have thought about her at that time. But after everything they had gone through together, her shy and always timid mindset had drastically changed. _She, _as a whole,had drastically changed. Back, during the Chunin Exams, when she had been forced to fight her cousin, Naruto had stood up for her, believing in her when even she didn't think she could get back up. Even when he had left for those two and a half years, she had seen the determination in his eyes before he had left, and when he came back, it only sparked a blazing fire in her chest. After, she showed him her courage, her bravery and love, even when she knew she was only going to get killed. They grew to protect each other, they grew to crave each other's company, feed off of each other's happiness. Hinata laughed at all of Naruto's cheesy jokes well he listened to her quiet musings and worries. They began to train together, Hinata teaching him stances and taijutsu techniques that could help him protect himself without having to use any powerful ninjutsu. He, in return, taught her how to focus her energy all into one place, making some of her most devastating attacks even more dynamic. Throughout that time, Hinata's love for him only grew stronger and stronger, and soon ... he began to love her back.

Now, she was here; cooking lunch in his kitchen, her grey eyes fixed on the window in front of her, watching as Naruto trained his taijutsu. They had been living together for a couple months now, even against the angry advice of her father. Even though Naruto was a hero in many people's eyes, he was just an ignorant kid to Hinata's father.

Hinata smiled and took a step back. She was pretty proud of this batch of onigiri. She had managed to make them into the shape of a shuriken, and had decorated them with wrapped nori seaweed designs. She was sure he was going to like these. Hinata placed them on to the bamboo plate she had set aside before she quickly twisted the silver tap on the sink and began to wash the salt and a few grains of rice off of her hands. As she did, she quickly glanced out of the window once again.

Her blue-black eyebrows furrowed slightly in worry. She quickly turned off the tap, and dried her hands on a nearby, tattered dish towel. Where did Naruto go? He had been there a second ago-

"Hina~ta!"

Hinata squeaked as a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist and a chin rested on her slender shoulder. The weight of the person knocked her slightly against the edge of the white counter top, knocking the wind out of her. A furious blush flashed across her face as she quickly twisted around, in his arms, to face her captor.

Naruto was grinning wildly; his whisker-like cheek marks making him look more untamed and handsome than ever. A thin sheen of sweat made his skin glisten, and his chest was heaving slightly. His blonde hair was flopping into his azure eyes, and when he caught her staring into them, he grinned even wider. He winked at her at he bent forward to nip her on the ear. "What'cha making?"

"Oni-onigiri," she stammered. Although she had brought herself to drop the honorific behind his name and she had managed to speak louder in his presence, she still wasn't able to control the stutter that appeared whenever he startled her.

"Ooh, don't mind if I do," Naruto enthused, and he moved Hinata to his side, their hips touching. Hinata opened her mouth to say that it wasn't finished-she was going to prepare some red bean soup as well-but promptly shut her mouth once again. There was no point; when Naruto was hungry, nothing would stop him. One arm was still around her, clasping her close to him, but the other was reaching toward the slim, bamboo plate. Before she knew it, he had an onigiri in his hand, and was munching on it happily.

Hinata pressed her face into his shoulder, and he hummed in response. Sometimes she wondered if he all he was dedicated to was food.


End file.
